Some computer-based drawing applications provide controls that enable a user to place drawing objects on a display. Examples of drawing objects include shapes, cartoons, and imported pictures such as photographs. In conventional approaches to placing drawing objects on a display with a drawing application, a user of a drawing application specifies that certain drawing objects be aligned with respect to a position on each drawing object. In one example, the user may specify that the centers of the drawing objects are aligned vertically. In another example, the user may specify that the top lefts of the drawing objects are aligned horizontally.